Royal Enfield Bullet 500 EFI Introduced; Priced At Rs 1.62 Lakh

The fuel-injected Royal Enfield Bullet 500 now meets Bharat Stage 4 (BS IV) emission regulations which came into effect from 1 April 2017. The recent Supreme Court order banning the manufacture, sale and even registration of any vehicle not meeting these regulations meant Royal Enfield had to update those models which did not meet the BS 4 emissions criteria. The engine of the updated Bullet 500 remains the same, but power and torque have marginally increased, thanks to the new technology. The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 is now available in three shades - Marsh Grey, Forest Green and Black.

The Bullet 500 is powered by the same 499 cc, single-cylinder, four-stroke engine, but now gets fuel-injection in place of the carburettor which used to feed the outgoing bike's engine. Maximum power is now rated at 27.2 bhp at 5250 rpm, up from 26.1 bhp, while peak torque now is 41.3 Nm at 4000 rpm, up from 40.9 Nm. The bike also gains one kg weight, and kerb weight now is 194 kg. The rest of the features on the bike remain the same, with same equipment and cycle parts.

Suspension consists of the same telescopic 35 mm fork and twin gas-charged shocks at the rear. Front brake is a 280 mm disc with twin-piston caliper while the rear wheel only gets a 153 mm drum brake. The Royal Enfield Bullet 500 isn't quite the sales mover for the Indian motorcycle manufacturer, but there is still a niche fan-following of the iconic Bullet 500. The timeless design language of the original Bullet 350 with a larger engine, a front disc brake, and now fuel injection make the Bullet 500 a favourite for the purists, particularly the Royal Enfield touring crowd.

In recent years, the Bullet 500 was favoured by enthusiasts compared to the Royal Enfield Classic 500 primarily because the Bullet 500 offered a carburettor. Niggling problems with the Royal Enfield's electronic fuel injection, particularly during the initial years when it was launched (2010-2011), and a seemingly instant throttle response on the carburetted bike made many opt for the 'not-so-inexpensive' modification on the Classic 500 to convert it into a carburetted bike. The future though is fuel injection, and with emission regulations becoming stringent globally, introducing the Bullet 500 is one of the first few steps from Royal Enfield to modernise its fleet.